Texas Authors Inspire with Books about Love & Healing
A Love Letter to Texas Women
Sarah Bird
University of Texas Press, 2016
Sarah Bird, a reluctant transplant from New Mexico, came to Texas in 1973, sure that she’d made a terrible mistake. In this witty account, she describes her transformation into an admirer of women indigenous to the Lone Star State. She describes the Texas Woman as “Southern, but with the Western grit handed down by her foremothers, who could give birth during a Comanche attack, help out when it came time to turn the bulls into steers, and still end up producing more Miss USAs than any other state in the union.” She gives her take on Texas icons, like Lady Bird Johnson, Molly Ivins, Ann Richards and Laura Bush, paying tribute to their style and legacy.
Return to Joy
Bev DeSalvo
NavPress, Tyndale House Publishers, 2016
Temple author Bev DeSalvo has penned an uplifting, thought-provoking book, where she details the spiritual journey to self-acceptance that she undertook alongside her husband, Gary, a pastor. She describes the fear of intimacy she developed as the result of her abusive upbringing and how she ultimately finds happiness in her marriage and with others through her relationship with God. Her message of hope is meant to inspire hurting women around the world.
This Is Where You Belong
Melody Warnick
Penguin Books, 2017
During the sixth move in her life, from her home in Austin, Texas, to a new life in Blacksburg, Virginia, Melody Warnick struggled with a deep despair. To overcome her sense of loss, she used her skills as a journalist to probe deeper into why humans move from place to place or hunker down and stay put. What does it take to create a connection with a community where you’ve landed? Warnick asks readers to examine what connects them to their local communities—offering plenty of ideas about how to embrace a town and find happiness there.
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily
Laura Creedle
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017
This debut novel aimed at young readers by Austin-based author Laura Creedle spins a tale of two teens who feel out of step with society. Lily, who struggles with ADHD, and Abelard, afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome, operate outside the periphery of their high school’s societal norms. But their mutual interest in ancient love letters ultimately connects them to each other in this poignant, hilarious story.
